A fashionista's compost heap...
- Beth Griffiths
- Jun 29, 2020
- 5 min read
... and quest to live environmentally consciously
I've been trying to reduce my impact on the environment for the past demi-decade. Like many people wanting to make eco-friendly changes, I started small. I started using reuseable shopping bags and water bottles; rejecting plastic straws, plastic produce bags and disposable cutlery; and, most simply of all, walking any journey where the destination was within walkable distance.
Next I evaluated my diet. I made the step to eating a vegan diet slightly over 3 years ago, after finding out that eating a plant-based diet is one of the best ways to reduce a human being's everyday impact on the environment. Admittedly, this wasn't a huge leap for me as I'd grown up as a vegetarian (thanks Mum and Dad!). Having never eaten meat (including fish) meant I was already used to eating non-meat protein sources. Giving up dairy was relatively easy for me as I liked black tea and coffee, so the only thing I found difficult was giving up eggs - I had been a HUGE fan of eggs. But, to be honest, I got used to the plant-based changes pretty quickly.
After my change of diet I took a closer look at packaging, toiletries and cosmetics. During this time I was focussed on recycling, restricting my single-use plastic usage and reducing the amount of non-compostable materials I sent to landfill. Until relatively recently I hadn't taken much time to consider the compostable materials I was "throwing away", and what impact they were having on the environment.
Composting to reduce landfill waste
Like I mentioned in my post 'Patio Planting: Grow your own in small spaces', this year I've started utilising both aerobic composting and vermicomposting methods to reduce the amount of waste I send to landfill. When compostable matter is bagged up and sent to the dark, anaerobic environment that is landfill it doesn't break down in the same way it does in a compost bin. Properly composted kitchen waste produces nutrient rich plant fertiliser and carbon dioxide (while also providing delicious food for worms). When the same waste is sent to landfill, it instead breaks down incredibly slowly and generates a lot of methane gas. Methane gas is a greenhouse gas with a global warming potential higher than that of carbon dioxide, so reducing the amount human beings create and release into the atmosphere is vitally important.
What goes in my (aerobic) compost bin:
food waste (peelings, cores and scraps)
garden waste (and "urban jungle" house plant waste!)
cut and dried flowers that are past their best
shredded paper, tissues and newspapers
natural dog toys (cotton and natural rubber)
biodegradeable tea bags, loose leaf tea, coffee grounds
cardboard packaging
biodegrable "veg plastic" packaging
toilet and kitchen roll tubes
hair from hair and pet brushes
(Natural textiles are compostable too; these include linen, cotton, jute, bamboo, viscose, hemp, wool and other animal hair fibres)
loose threads, yarn ends, waste yarn
garden twine
cleaning cloths, dusters, reusuable make-up removers etc. (once they're passed their best)
fabric scraps and offcuts
clothing (that cannot be passed on to charity shops)
Tips for creating good compost for growing plants (with aerobic composting method)
the mixture should not contain too much of one kind of material, it should be a mix of "brown" (carbon rich) and "green" (nitrogen rich) materials
aim for the mixture to contain 25-50% soft, nitrogen rich materials (but be mindful not to add too many grass-clippings)
the composting "ingredients" should be torn or cut up quite small to speed up the rate in which they break down
the contents of the bin should be thoroughly turned or mixed every couple of days to introduce oxygen to the mixture
water should be added if the mixture is dry (the composting mixture should be moist: too dry and it will take overly long to breakdown; too wet and the mixture's decomposition will become "unhealthy" and smelly)
waste from the onion family (onions, leeks, shallots, garlic etc.) and the citrus family (oranges, lemons, limes etc.) should be limited to prevent the compost becoming too acidic. Beneficial brandling worms that find their way into your compost bin/heap will leave if the environment becomes too acidic
add a wide range of compostable materials to make sure the mixture will contain everything soil needs to contain for healthy plants - for example: banana skins are a great source of potassium; egg shells are a great source of calcium; coffee grounds are incredibly rich in nitrogen, as well as being a source of potassium and phosphorus; mushroom stalks will add copper and tomatoes will add manganese
Vermicomposting requires a different approach, with slightly different conditions and "ingredients". The first thing to mention is that vermiomposting requires patience as it is a much slower process than aerobic composting. So, unless you have the space and funds to set up an industrial sized worm composting unit, it is not possible to dispose of all of the compostable waste a household produes with a vermicomposter.
Secondly, its important to understand the conditions/environment the worms need to thrive and [eventually] produce compost.
Conditions brandling worms require in their wormery:
Good breathablity - air circulation is important as worms need oxygen to breathe
Not too wet, not too dry! - brandling worms like a damp enviornment but do not want to be sodden. Worms need to be moist in order to breathe through their skin. A good rule of thumb would be maintaining an environment similar to a wrung out flannel, so diy wormeries NEED drainage holes on the underside
Darkness
Neutral pH - worms are sensitive to the pH balance of their environment. If the composter gets too acidic the worms will try to crawl away and can even die, so onion and citrus waste should not be added to worm compost bins.
The right foodstuff - a varied diet should be provided to worms for their own health and for nutrient-rich compost production. Brandling worms should NOT be given dairy products, processed products, plastic coated paper products, meat (including fish), fats, and cat and dog feces
The right green to brown matter balance - generally, vermicomposting bins should be proved with 2/3 green matter to 1/3 brown matter. This mixture should be adjusted if the contents of the bin becomes too wet, slimy or developes a smell. Adding shredded paper is a good way to restore the balance of a soggy bin
Top-tip: The contents of vermicomposting bins should smell earthy and slightly sweet. If the bin developes a bad smell the mixture is too wet!
Setting up a vermicomposting bin
I decided to make my own vermicomposter using a small recycling bin I bought online. I simply drilled holes in the base and stood the bin on terracotta pot feet to raise it off the ground. I then placed a few sheets of newspaper at the bottom of the bin, and filled it with a layer of multipurpose compost 1.5 inches deep. Next I added a spadeful of soil from a garden flowerbed and a trowelful of well composted farmyard manure/mulch to introduce beneficial microorganisms to the sterile bought-in compost. Instead, worm "bedding" can be purchased online (along with the brandling worms) to add in these microorganisms. Once the bin has a layer 2.5-3.5 inches deep it is ready to moisten and introduce the worms.
Top-tip: New worms need time to settle in and acclimatise to their new home, so don't pile lots of kitchen waste on top of them; "little by little" is the best approach to vermicomposting generally but especially at the beginning. I started mine off with a few root vegetable peelings and sprinkle of small cardboard pieces.
That is my quick guide to setting up and utilising composting to reduce landfill waste! As always, if you've taken the time to read this, thank you! And I hope it has provided some inspiration to compost at home. - Beth, thedaftduck x
You can check out my shop on nuMONDAY, where you'll find one-off pieces and made to order knits! And follow daftduck_ on instagram for work in progress updates, house-plant pics and vegetable growing!#shopsmall #stopthrowawayfashion
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